These are the words of the Lord of Hosts: Take courage, you who in these days hear, from the prophets who were present when the foundations were laid for the house of the Lord of Hosts, their promise that the temple is to be rebuilt. Till that time there was no hiring either of man or of beast, no one could safely go about his business because of his enemies, and I set all men against one another. But now I am not the same towards the survivors of this people as I was in former days, says the Lord of Hosts. For they shall sow in safety; the vine shall yeild its fruit and the soil its produce, the heavens shall give their dew; with all these things I will endow the survivors of this people. You, house of Judah and house of Israel, have been the very symbol of a curse to all the nations; but now I will save you, and you shall become the symbol of a blessing. Courage! Do not be afraid.

For these are the words of the Lord of Hosts: Whereas I resolved to ruin you because your ancestors roused me to anger, says the Lord of Hosts, and I did not relent, so in these days I have once more resolved to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; do not be afraid. This is what you shall do: speak the truth to each other, administer true and sound justice in the city gate. Do not contrive any evil against one another, and do not love perjury, for all this I hate. This is the very word of the Lord.

The word of the Lord of Hosts came to me: These are the words of the Lord of Hosts: The fasts of the fourth month and of the fifth, the seventh, and the tenth, shall become festivals of joy and gladness for the house of Judah. Love truth and peace.

These are the words of the Lord of Hosts: Nations and dwellers in great cities shall yet come; people of one city shall come to those of another and say, “Let us go and entreat the favor of the Lord, and resort to the Lord of Hosts; and I will come too.” So great nations and mighty peoples shall resort to the Lord of Hosts in Jerusalem and entreat his favour. These are the words of the Lord of Hosts: In those days, when ten men from nations of every language pluck up courage, they shall pluck the robe of a Jew and say, ‘We will go with you because we have heard God is with you.’

One Response to Zechariah 8:9-23

“This is what you shall do: speak the truth to each other, administer true and sound justice in the city gate. Do not contrive any evil against one another, and do not love perjury, for all this I hate. This is the very word of the Lord.” Amen!